Athachamayam is a grand celebration celebrated on the Atham asterism of the Malayalam month of Chingam (roughly August-September), at Thripunithura, near Kochi, Kerala. The Atham marks the beginning of the ten day Onam festival in Kerala, and hence Athachamayam too.
Athachamayam is a cultural fiesta which provides one the rare opportunity to witness almost all the folk art forms of Kerala.
Athachamayam is celebrated to commemorate the victory of the Raja (King) of Kochi.
There is a magnificent procession representing that of the King and his entourage. It is accompanied by caparisoned elephants, floats, musical ensembles and a variety of folk art forms.
Event date: 15-08-2018
Venue: Thripunithura
Location: Thripunithura
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District: Ernakulam
This years Malabar Jalolthsavam or Malabar Boat Race for the Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam Memorial Gold Trophy organized by Mettammal Brothers is being held at Kavvayi Kayal or Kavvayi Lake in the Kasaragod District, is on 5th September 2017 the 3rd Onam day.
malabar jalolthsavam kavvayi lake
The organizers of the Vallam Kali, the Mettammal Brothers is one of the most famous football clubs on Northern Kerala.
Rear More about Malabar Jalolthsavam, Kavvayi Lake
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Started a few years back the Kavvayi boat race is one of the famous boat races of North Kerala. Other programs are also conducted as part of the boat race.
Onam is the National Festival of Kerala. Onam is a Hindu festival but Onam is celebrated by all religions and caste throughout Kerala and outside Kerala wherever Malayali’s are there. Even though Onam is a 10 day festival the main celebration goes on the last 4 days and the actual Onam day is on Thiruvoanam.
Read about Onam in detail
Onam is the harvest festival which falls in the month of Chingam (the first month) according to the Malayalam calendar which in Gregorian calendar and it normally comes in the August–September months. It is the New Year day for Keralite.
A huge range of activities take place across the state for over two weeks. It includes Vallam Kali (boat races), Pulikali (tiger dances), Pookkalam (flower arrangement), Onathappan (worship), Onam Kali, Tug of War, Thumbi Thullal (women’s dance), Kummati kali (mask dance), Onathallu (martial arts), Onavillu (music), Kazhchakkula (plantain offerings), Onapottan (costumes), Atthachamayam (folk songs and dance), and other celebrations, and the most important the Onam Sadhya, the grand feast.
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Event date: 15-08-2018 to 27-08-2018, Thiruvonam: 25-08-2018
Location: All over Kerala
This years Chekupalam Jalolthsavam or the Pinarayi Chekupalam Boat Race will be held on 10th September 2017.
North Malabar Vallam Kali
Stared in 2015 Pinarayi Chekupalam Vallam Kali is conducted in the Ummanchira River at Chekupalam near Pinarayi.The Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the Boat Race.
Only the 5 rower fiber boat Race is conducted here.
Date: 10th September 2017
Venue: Pinarayi Chekupalam
Entry to the Boat Race is Free
Read more about Pinarayi, Chekupalam Boat Race
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Programs Like Thiruvathira, Kolkali, Onam Fight (Onathallu), and Procession on water etc will be there
The 4th Madayi Jalolthsavam or Madayi Vallam Kali organized by Samskrithi Madayi in association with DTPC Kannur and Kerala Folklore Academy for the Madayi Co-operative Rural Bank Trophy is being conducted in the Pazhyangadi River on 7th September 2017.
Madayi Boat Race
Started in the year 2014 Madayi Boat Race is a major Boat Race in the North Malabar Region.
Read More about Madayi Boat Race
Boat Races will be conducted in the 25 rower category and 15 rower category.As part of the Boat Race there will also be a Mappila Pattu performance by Eranzholi Moosa.
Also there will be water adventure performances, processions and competitions like Mehandi Designing competition, arts and literature competitions.
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Aranmula Vallamkali or the Aranmula Snake Boat Race also known as Aranmula Uthrattathi Vallamkali or Aranmula Uthrattathi Boat Race (Since it is held on the Uthrittathi asterism as per the Malayalam calendar) is the oldest river boat fiesta in Kerala held in the Pampa River near the Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple dedicated to Lord Krishna and Arjuna, during Onam festival of Kerala (in the month of August–September).
Aranmula Vallamkali
Aranmula is a heritage village lies in the banks of the river Pampa in the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala and the snake boats used for this race are called Palliyodams.
Read More about Aranmula Vallamkali
Event date: 29-08-2018
Venue: River Pamba
Location: Aranmula
District: Pathanamthitta
Legend says that a devout Brahmin promised to provide all the requirements for the ThiruvonaSadya (feast held during Thiruvonam). On one such occasion, the Thiruvona Thoni, as the boat is called, laden with all these offerings to be delivered to Aranmula Sree Parthasarathy Temple got attacked by enemies during its voyage. In order to protect the Thiruvona Thoni, the people from the neighboring areas sent their snake boats and it is from here that the grand tradition of the special snake boat race in the area was born.
Getting there
Nearest railway station: Chengannur, about 10 km
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Nearest airport: Trivandrum International Airport, about 117 km
Pulikkali is a grand spectacle which has become synonymous with the Onam festival in Kerala, and it is an event that you should never miss. Pulikali forms an integral part of the Onam festivival and it attracts thousands of people to the Thrissur city. A striking feature of this folk art is the colorful appearance of the performers.
Pulikali The Tiger Dance
Read More about Pulikali
Puli means Tiger or Leopard and Kali means Play in Malayalam so Pulikkali literal means the ‘Play of the Tigers’ or Tiger Dance. Pulikkali is a recreational folk art from the state of Kerala in which the performance revolve around the theme of tiger hunting.
Event date: 28th Aug 2018 – Puroruttadi Day (Third day after Thiruonam)
Venue: Swaraj Round
Location: Swaraj Round
District: Thrissur
Getting there:
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Nearest railway station: Thrissur, about a kilometer
Nearest airport: Cochin International Airport, about 54 kms
This Years Kattampally Jalolthsavam or the Kattampally Boat Race organized by the Kakkathuruthy Boat Club of Narath will be held on the 7th September 2017.
Kattampally boat race 2017 notice
Date: 17th September 2017
Venue: Kattampally Dam Site or Kattampally Shutter
Entry to the Boat Race is Free
P K Sreemathi Teacher M P will inaugurate the Boat Race.
Started in 2015, the Kattampally Vallam kali is conducted in the Valapattanam River at Kattampally Dam Site or Kattampally Shutter near Narath.
Read More about Kattampally Boat Race
Races are normally conducted in 3 category.
- The 5 rower traditional boat,
- 7 rower traditional boat and
- 5 rower fiber boat category
There will also be a Nadan pattu performance and procession on the water.
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Note: The Boat Race which was Scheduled to be conducted on 7th has been postponed to 17th September 2017, Sunday
This years Mahathma Gandhi Trophy Uthara Malabar Jalolthsavam or the North Malabar Boat Race is being conducted on the 2nd October of 2017 in the Thejaswini River (Karyankode River), near Neeleshwaram in the Kasaragod district of Kerala.
North Malabar Vallam Kali
Competition will be conducted in the 25 rower category and 15 rower category for men and 15 rower category for women
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Started in the early 1970 the Uthara Malabar Vallam Kali was the only Boat Race in the North Malabar region until recently. But now a lot of boat races are being conducted in the Kannur and Kasaragod District.
Kalpathi Ratholsavam or the Kalpathi Chariot Festival also known as Kalpathy Theru festival is the famous festival of Palakkad District. The annual festival is held at the famous Viswanathaswamy Temple in the village of Kalpathi. Kalpathi is a traditional Tamil Brahmin settlement in Kerala (Agraharam or Traditional house).
Kalpathi Ratholsavam Palakkad
Even though the 10 day festival starts from 8th the main festival days are the last 3 days of the festival from 14th to 16th.
Start date: 14-11-2017
End date: 16-11-2017
Venue: Sree Viswanatha Swamy Temple
Location: Kalpathi
District: Palakkad
Read More about Kalpathy Ratholsavam
Celebrations
The main attraction of the festival are the six magnificent chariots (three from the Viswanathaswamy Temple and three from the nearby temples of Manthakkara Maha Ganapathy, Lakshminarayana Perumal of Old Kalpathy, and Maha Ganapathy of Chathapuram) beautifully decorated with flowers, flags, sugarcane, coconuts etc are ceremoniously drawn through the streets by thousands of devotees. The procession is accompanied by caparisoned elephants and percussion. It is believed that pulling the chariots will wash off all the sins for a lot of generations.
How to Reach
Nearest railway station: Olavakot – 1 km, Palakkad, about 3 km
Nearest town: Palakkad – 3 km
Nearest airport: Coimbatore in the neighbouring State of Tamil Nadu, about 55 km
Disclaimer
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In Kerala, festival dates are decided in accordance with the Malayalam calendar and the local traditions and customs. We have calculated the festival dates based on these. But there can be changes in the dates according the customs and rituals associated with each place of worship. As such, these should be considered only as approximate dates and have to be confirmed with the local authorities.